Start Node 

The Start Node is a modeling element indicating the start of the process. This element appears in the eXchange Protocol Designer by default, when you create a new BP. 

A Start Node can only link to an activity that has a receive or read capability, signaled by a subicon in the upper left resembling an opened envelope (see Receive Activity just below). 

Link 

Link with Business Rule 

Links indicate the flow of the BP by connecting elements together. When you select a link, a context menu allows you to configure how data is going to be passed to and from the underlying component or web service operation using BP attributes. 

eXchange Integrator ensures the model is being properly linked because it does not allow invalid links to connect. Links can also accept mapped values. A link with mapped values is highlighted in blue. 

End Node 

The End modeling element indicates the completed state of a BP. This element appears in the Business Process Designer by default, when you create a new BP. 

Receive Activity 

The Receive activity indicates the invocation of a BP or a wait state pending the arrival of an inbound message. 

The Receive activity represents the actual method by which a BP is initiated. For example: 

• An eWay polls a file system or database and retrieves data that is passed to the engine, along with the indication that a BP instance has started.

• A user types a URL into a browser and a servlet initiates a BP by sending a message to eGate or eInsight.

Activity 

An activity is a step in the BP in which the engine will invoke a web service operation or an eGate component. Depending upon the configuration of the component, a response may or may not be required. One example would be a synchronous extraction process from a database to return the credit status of a trading partner. 

Reply Activity 

The Reply activity allows a BP to respond to the external system or user that originally invoked the BP. The original receive at the beginning of the BP is paired with the Reply at the end of the process. In cases where a message must be sent back to the caller of the BP, the Reply uses information that correlates the message in the calling system. 

A Reply acts as the last step in a BP in which the BP is acting as a web service operation or subprocess. A Reply correlates the outbound message back to the calling process; for example, it can reply to an external system as a web service operation. 

Business Rule Activity 

The Business Rule activity sets data values, including task assignments. It is used when imported models have multiple data mappings between the invocation of human tasks or automated systems. 

Compensate 

The Compensate element invokes compensation on an inner scope that has already completed normally. This construct can be invoked only from within a fault handler or another compensation handler. 

Empty Activity 

The Empty activity allows data to pass through without any changes. 

Wait Activity 

The Wait activity acts as a timer. The user will build a model in which there are two simultaneous paths within a set scope, one for the BP and one for the timer. If the timer condition takes place first, an exception will be thrown and handled, and the BP path will then be abandoned. 

User Activity 

The User activity is used only by eInsight, and should not be placed on a canvas unless your site is licensed for eInsight was well as eXchange Integrator. It is used when assigning, escalating, or otherwise using human intervention to complete eInsight business process tasks.